Letters from Campbell Reporter readers

From Campbell Reporter readers

Posted:
02/21/2013 08:08:39 PM PST

Updated:
02/21/2013 08:08:40 PM PST

Have conversation this winter about wood burning

We have observed many winter Spare the Air alerts this season. As most of us already know, when an alert has been issued, wood burning is prohibited. As someone who has asthma and as the mother of a son with asthma, I am thankful for this rule that helps protect my family and the more than one in seven people living in the Bay Area who suffer from respiratory illness. It also helps protect the rest of us from unhealthy exposure to the number one source of wintertime air pollution--wood smoke.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty of wood burning. Most of us don't like to be told what we can't do in our own house. On the other hand, we generally like to accommodate the comfort and health of our friends and neighbors. For instance, if you visited someone's house, you would never think to smoke a cigarette inside. Likewise, when you have friends over, they wouldn't think to smoke inside your home.

It's hard to believe that only 20 years ago, smoking indoors was commonplace. People smoked in restaurants, on airplanes, at our workplaces and inside our homes. But, as we learned more and more about the deadly danger of secondhand smoke, we accommodated for the health and comfort of our friends, families and coworkers. Eventually, all indoor work environments in California became smoke-free, and most people started thinking twice about smoking in other people's homes.

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Wood smoke is very similar to secondhand smoke. It contains many of the same carcinogens and toxins. On cold, still winter nights, a house with a fire in the fireplace is like a house smoking a pack of cigarettes. The smoke goes into the neighborhood and "hangs around"--sometimes for days. Several days and nights of these conditions can cause particulate pollution to build up to unhealthy levels. When this happens, people with respiratory issues experience serious breathing problems.

This winter, the Bay Area has seen 10 Spare the Air alerts, including a stretch of four days in a row. To prevent pollution from building up to unhealthy levels in our neighborhoods, it's important for us to talk to each other about wood smoke. These conversations can be informative and friendly. Encourage your neighbors to check before they burn to make sure there;s not a Spare the Air alert in effect. And if you live in a community with a homeowners association, you can ask the association to get the word out to the neighborhood. You can remind people that it's easy to sign up for email or phone alerts at sparetheair.org, or by calling 877.4NO.BURN (877.466.2876).

So start a conversation in your neighborhood, and help protect the air in and around your home from the "other" secondhand smoke.